


The little match boy

by exosweave



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: AU, Angst, Christmas AU, Little Match Girl - Freeform, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:41:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23549320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exosweave/pseuds/exosweave
Summary: “One. Please, just one,” the petite frame sitting next to the church entrance begs the passers-by.It’s a beautiful Christmas eve. One to be illustrated in children’s books, really.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Park Chanyeol
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11





	The little match boy

“One. Please, just one,” the petite frame sitting next to the church entrance begs the passers-by.

It’s a beautiful Christmas eve. One to be illustrated in children’s books, really. Perfectly untouched snow covering the small square and even resting on the shoulders of the intimidating statue in the middle of it. Streetlights casting warm hues on the snowflakes falling from the sky.

It’s cold. The chilly temperature is creeping up his body through his knees, already numb from how long he has been sitting there on the cold stone steps leading inside.

The Christmas mass is about to take place and of course, no one wants to miss it. Neither does Baekhyun, but he isn’t allowed inside of the building anymore. He thought Christianity was a religion of loving and kindness, but even the Lord’s hospitality seems to have its limit.

There is no place for him anymore inside of the church walls. No food left for him to eat. No bed for him to sleep after the priest found out how he had been taking matchsticks from the altar in attempt to sell them for a bit of money.

But his Honor doesn’t understand. Only sees the good in people when he preaches. He has no clue how people truly are nowadays. There is no passer-by kind enough in his heart to give something without expecting anything in return. No passer-by who doesn’t look at him with contempt on their faces because of the dirt covering his and the rags covering his frail body.

It’s a miracle they haven’t spat him in the face yet because he tries selling them at a ridiculous price. People are greedy. They don’t see that their little bit of pocket-money is worth another day, another week, another month to him.

How one matchstick could be worth a human life. How the flame, when they decide to light it, very much resembles the one inside of their own body. 

At least Baekhyun knows its worth, its warmth. Its power, as he lights it and holds it in front of his face. Lips cracked and blue from the cold in its orange hues as he decides to hold it dangerously close. The fingers of his free hands curled – unmovable, frozen – in attempt to shield it from the wind.

There’s a set of footsteps echoing across the town square. Running, even though the giant doors of the church just fell shut. They’re missing mass too.

He tries to not let the other matchsticks catch fire, although in the back of his mind he’s fully aware that not even this stranger is going to buy any of them. Why would they? He isn’t even going to bother to ask.

All he wants right now is to enjoy the inner peace he’s feeling from looking at the flame and listening to the church choir singing. Silent night, holy night. They sound like angels.

It’s like he’s hearing the message of God directly into his ears. He too will be alright. It’s Christmas eve after all.

“Looks like we’re both out for tonight,” the stranger’s mumbled words manage to pull his mind back from where it started to slowly drift off.

Is he talking to him?

“Why are you burning those?” 

As the small boy looks up again, he’s met by the vision of friendly doe-like eyes and fluffy curls collecting heaps of snow.

“Weren’t you trying to sell them?” He bends over, hands resting on top of his knees as his black coat falls open because of the movement. He looks… curious. And aimable.

And interested to buy too, Baekhyun can tell. But there’s something off. He suddenly feels like keeping the little beacons of light to himself, instead of gifting them to a stranger. Probably only interested because he wants to save his religious soul by doing some charity on Christmas eve, instead of sitting through the mass they’re both excluded from.

“Not anymore.”

“Really. You look like you need it.”

He wants to snap a clever comeback at him, but the stranger seems to be one step ahead of him. Testing his limits, he manages to snatch one from the poor boy’s frozen fingers.

“Hey! Give it back!” He jumps at him, balling his fists around the ones he’s got left while he attempts to get their sister back. “They’re mine.”

“How about I buy this one then,” the taller grins, “so you can light up the candles later.” He holds it up so far above his head, Baekhyun isn’t even able to reach it he were to try.

He can only stare at the man in front of him in disbelief. Is this some type of joke to him? “Very funny.” He too should know that church is always closed for people like him. Like all homeless people are out for nowadays is stealing candelabras. Speaking of, those aren’t even made of pure gold anymore. Cheap ass churches.

“I meant back at my place.”

The younger’s fists fall to the side of his body at that. Flame of the lit, sacrificed matchstick long gone already anyway.

Does he mean it?

“Can I offer you a place to sleep for the night?”

Does he?

“No one should spent the night alone in this unbearable cold. Besides, it’s Christmas, right?”

He smiles. Maybe it is.

“Let me… take those?” the curly headed man speaks quietly, cautious as he reaches over to grab the little sticks from his hands.

He wasn’t even aware from the way he had been clutching them against his chest as soon as he had entered the man’s house. Everything is just so overwhelmingly rich… and heartwarming. But he should’ve known that already by what the man was wearing. A bloody suit for mass on Christmas evening, like all those wealthy brats always did.

He should be grateful. Don’t get him wrong, he truly is. But at the same time he can’t help but feel so terribly out of place in the hallway leading up to the man’s living room. He’s been walking ahead of him, putting on the lights inside of the room.

He can see the lights of the Christmas tree welcoming him already and…

“Don’t go?”

Home. It reminds him of home and all the Christmasses he has already missed.

He allows him to take his hand of the doorknob. Allows him to push the front door shut behind him again before he leads him further into the house. The gush of wind creeping up on his face enough of a reminder how cold the night really is. And how warm the stranger’s hospitality towards him is compared to it.

He makes them come to a halt right in front of the fireplace. Removing his hand from his in order to lighten it. It slowly sputters to life with every piece of wood the taller throws on it. Brings even more life into the house than there already is. More life Baekhyun has never had.

They don’t speak as the man continues to help him grow comfortable inside of the foreign setting. It takes him a minute to realize he’s trying to get rid of the cold in his clothing, as he starts to tug at the edges of the scruffy fingerless gloves he’s wearing. Fingerless because there are holes in the fabric from how much he has worn them already, not because of some fashion statement.

It’s weird to be stripped from them all of a sudden, but he doesn’t complain. The heat of the fireplace warming them up already. He missed this. All of this.

They stay silent like that for a while, the both of them basking in the feeling for a second as they continue to shake the snow from their clothes. Then the man starts to strip himself of the coat and his shoes.

He can feel the heat rise to his cheeks already. Tries his best to hide them by shuffling backwards, but it’s too late. He’s already seen the holes inside of them. He wants to sink through the parquet and never look him in the eye again. And to make matters even worse, his stomach tries to demonstrate a whale’s mating calls as well.

“Do you want to take a shower?”

“I don’t have any other clothes.”

“You can wear some of mine?”

Those aren’t my size, he wants to spit back. But that wouldn’t make sense, since the ones he’s been wearing aren’t exactly his size either. Just the size of whatever he was able to find back then.

“I’ll make us something to eat?”

He narrows his eyes in suspicion as he scans him over from head to toe. Aware of the fact that a murderer could’ve invited him in and no one would know. No one would be out there missing him, if some awful thing were to happen to him. But then again, he doesn’t even have anything left to lose.

Right? The question seems to be readable on his face: What reason does he have for doing this?

“Look, I’m alone for the holidays too and… I kind of liked your smile.”

He can’t help but get shy at that, corners of his mouth timidly curling up again whilst he tries to avoid making eye contact with the stranger. Mumbling a small thank you.

“So, why did you come with me?”

He’s looking up at the stranger again. Snow catching onto thick strands of jet black hair. He can imagine him answering him he liked his smile too. Just like he’s imagined him asking him to join him in the warmth of his house. But instead, the stranger bangs on the church doors and silently retreats when he finds no answer behind them.

He moves away.

No eye for the poor figure sitting on the stone steps right in front of it. Last of his matchsticks burning between his swollen, frozen fingers. Thinking of home, and all the Christmasses he’s missed.

**Author's Note:**

> Please check out the moodboard over on my twitter! @exosweave  
> https://twitter.com/exosweave/status/1209424798167838720


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